Click here for Nagel
Click here and here to download the handouts
Click here for Week 1's readings
Click here for the prompt for this week's reflection
Click here to see how you will be graded for this week's reflection
Journal Questions
Nagel (155-159)
Before Reading
(1) What’s your opinion: is morality subjective or objective?
(2) What’s your opinion: do we need God for ethics?
After Reading
(3) According to Nagel, what do some people believe about the relationship between god and ethics?
(4) How does Nagel respond to the Divine Command Theory of ethics, or the idea that without God, there can be no ethics?
(5) Does Nagel think morality is objective or subjective? Why?
Critical Reflection
(6) Do you agree with Nagel? Do you disagree with Nagel? Explain your answer.
Hobbes (29-35)
Before Reading
(1) What’s your opinion: are people naturally ‘good’ or ‘bad’?
(2) What’s your opinion: what do we need government for?
After Reading
(3) According to Hobbes, what is human nature like (p. 29-32)?
(4) How does Hobbes define and describe “war” (p. 31-32)?
(5) What does Hobbes say about humanity’s desire for peace (p. 33)?
(6) Let’s assume “commonwealth” means “government.” What does Hobbes mean when he says, “Where there is no commonwealth, there nothing is unjust” (34)?
Critical Reflection
(7) Do you agree or disagree with Hobbes’ ideas? Explain your answer.
Rousseau (35-36)
After Reading
(1) How does Rousseau imagine man? What role does God play in his ideas about the beginnings of humanity?
(2) According to Rousseau, what is human nature like without government?
(3) Rousseau talks about biases we might have when imagining ethics. What are they? How does Rousseau imagine ethics before civilization?
(4) How does Rousseau disagree with Hobbes?
(5) Why might Rousseau agree with Nagel?
Critical Reflection
(6) Do you agree or disagree with Rousseau? Who is better: Rousseau or Hobbes?
Freud (49-51)
Before Reading
(1) Are humans naturally aggressive?
(2) Are there feelings that we may have that we don’t know about?
(3) Does society control our behaviors?
After Reading
(4) What are the two instincts Freud talks about? How might they affect us in our relationship to one another? How might they affect ethics?
(5) What is the “cultural super-ego”?
(6) According to Freud, are we happy in society? Why or why not?
(7) According to Freud, is ethics possible? If so, how? If not, why not?
(8) What does Freud say about “Love thy neighbor as thyself”? How does he justify his position?
Critical Reflection
(9) Who is Freud most like: Rousseau or Hobbes? Why?
Downloads
Click here for Nagel
Click here and here to download the handouts
Click here for Week 1's readings
Click here for the prompt for this week's reflection
Click here to see how you will be graded for this week's reflection
Journal Questions
Nagel (155-159)
Before Reading
(1) What’s your opinion: is morality subjective or objective?
(2) What’s your opinion: do we need God for ethics?
After Reading
(3) According to Nagel, what do some people believe about the relationship between god and ethics?
(4) How does Nagel respond to the Divine Command Theory of ethics, or the idea that without God, there can be no ethics?
(5) Does Nagel think morality is objective or subjective? Why?
Critical Reflection
(6) Do you agree with Nagel? Do you disagree with Nagel? Explain your answer.
Hobbes (29-35)
Before Reading
(1) What’s your opinion: are people naturally ‘good’ or ‘bad’?
(2) What’s your opinion: what do we need government for?
After Reading
(3) According to Hobbes, what is human nature like (p. 29-32)?
(4) How does Hobbes define and describe “war” (p. 31-32)?
(5) What does Hobbes say about humanity’s desire for peace (p. 33)?
(6) Let’s assume “commonwealth” means “government.” What does Hobbes mean when he says, “Where there is no commonwealth, there nothing is unjust” (34)?
Critical Reflection
(7) Do you agree or disagree with Hobbes’ ideas? Explain your answer.
Rousseau (35-36)
After Reading
(1) How does Rousseau imagine man? What role does God play in his ideas about the beginnings of humanity?
(2) According to Rousseau, what is human nature like without government?
(3) Rousseau talks about biases we might have when imagining ethics. What are they? How does Rousseau imagine ethics before civilization?
(4) How does Rousseau disagree with Hobbes?
(5) Why might Rousseau agree with Nagel?
Critical Reflection
(6) Do you agree or disagree with Rousseau? Who is better: Rousseau or Hobbes?
Freud (49-51)
Before Reading
(1) Are humans naturally aggressive?
(2) Are there feelings that we may have that we don’t know about?
(3) Does society control our behaviors?
After Reading
(4) What are the two instincts Freud talks about? How might they affect us in our relationship to one another? How might they affect ethics?
(5) What is the “cultural super-ego”?
(6) According to Freud, are we happy in society? Why or why not?
(7) According to Freud, is ethics possible? If so, how? If not, why not?
(8) What does Freud say about “Love thy neighbor as thyself”? How does he justify his position?
Critical Reflection
(9) Who is Freud most like: Rousseau or Hobbes? Why?
(10) What parts of Freud do you agree with?